The Dandelion in the Spring
by mockingjays-hallows-tridents
Summary: One month after the rebellion, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are finally getting back on track, growing back together, but what will happen when the infamous Gale Hawthorne returns to District 12... First Fanfic, Please Review and I own nothing but my insanity.
1. Chapter 1

_The Dandelion in the Spring_

_Summary:_

_One month after the rebellion, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are finally getting back on track, growing back together, but what will happen when the infamous Gale Hawthorne returns to District 12..._

Katniss P.O.V

I wake up with him next to me. I long to see his blue eyes. The eyes that assure me that I am safe. The eyes that calm me down. The same pair of eyes I saw a year and a half ago, begging me to stay with him rather than fight.

It's over. The war, the rebellion, The Hunger Games. It's all over. Now all the districts are equally rich, no poverty among them, along with the Capitol. You could decide where to live depending on which you liked the most. Everything is perfect. The way it should be.

Prim and my mother moved into my house in the Victors Village, Finnick, Annie and their new son Noah now live in District 4(**That's right, I couldn't let them die; though Prim has a large burn and Finnick has a pretty bad scar on where the mutts got him) ** Haymitch had tried to give up his drinking. It failed, obviously, but now he has Effie to help him who has now gotten rid of her wigs and make up and looks absolutely stunning and they are such a cute couple! And then you have Gale. Well ,what happened to Gale? He lives in 2 now with a fancy job. Not heard from him since he gave me the arrow. The arrow that ended the war. And President Coin's life.

I'm snapped back into reality when I notice the eyes as blue as the sky boring into me.

I smile and seal his lips with a kiss. He smiles back and gives me the 'Go down for breakfast' look. I moan quietly and get up off the bed. And before I know it I am racing him down the stairs. I feel better once I'm in the kitchen and I smell the irresistible scent of cheese buns.

"Oh, Peeta? You know that call you got late last night? What was that about?"

"Oh, right. That. Um I'm going to have to leave District 12 for a couple of weeks to go for a business trip to District 2." he replies, not looking at me.

I rest my hand on his cheek and sigh.

"You seem worried about leaving me here. Like you're guilty or not telling me something. It's alright, Peeta."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

~Time Lapse~

"Love you, Katniss."

"Love you too."I kiss his cheek ,smile sadly and wave to him as he hops on train to District 2. I feel an arm wrap around me as I realise I have tears falling down my cheek. I can smell the strong stench of liquor. I begin to wrinkle my nose but I appreciate how Haymitch came to see Peeta off.

He hugs me as the train pulls away and leads me back to the Victors Village.

"Thank you, Haymitch."

"No problem, I knew there would be some tears shed so I thought someone might need comforting. You know where I am when you need me, all right, sweetheart?" I nod slowly and he gives me a short cuddle and walks back to his house.

As soon as I walk into the house, something is not right. I feel an emptiness inside of me, Just like after the rebellion. _It's only three weeks, Katniss. You're better than this! _Surely I can manage a few weeks.

I grab my bow and arrows from the spare room and make my way to the woods. It is the one place where I feel truly safe. As soon as I get there, I make my way to the river. That's when I hear a twig snap behind me.


	2. Chapter 2- Gale

**Hey guys, I am really sorry about that misunderstanding with the posting-of-the-same-story thing. It won't happen again, don't worry.**

**I got a review saying "Don't do *spoiler alert*" And I am really sorry but that is kind of the plot, I'm Sorry. Please Review, Follow and Favourite and I will update soon because it is the End Of Term on Friday- For three weeks!- so I will update more. I think after this chapter you will guess what the plot is. Anyways, please review and tell me if you have any dislikes about the story. But until then, Have an amazing day, night or whatever time it is when you're reading this!**

**Elliex**

I grab an arrow from my quiver and take aim in less than a second. I am about to shoot when I see the coal mining boy from District Twelve.

"Gale?" I ask silently.

"Hey, Catnip."

"What are you doing here?" I ask a bit more confidently.

"I could ask you the same question." he replies.

"Needed some space to think." I reply, not looking at his grey, eyes so similar to mine.

"What happened?" he asks with concern.

" I just miss Peeta. " Now I wish I hadn't have said that. But luckily he doesn't ask- I try to steer clear of Peeta's name.

"Well, I was meant to surprise Mom and the kids. But it seems like we wanted to surprise each other. They're in Two, staying with one of my friends."

"Where are you staying?" I ask quickly. I don't know why I am asking, but Gale may not have a key.

"I'll probably go by Madge's. I can go catch up with her." he turns to walk away, but I stop him.

"Will you stay with me?" I blurt out. I want my best friend back- only for a little while. Probably just for a few days.

"Um, yeah, sure." he replies, almost star struck. _What are you thinking Katniss? What would Peeta think? He nearly killed your sister. But the thing is, he did kill hundreds of others. And that was only outside President Snow's mansion._ _What about all of his death traps? The Nut?_

_No. Gale is a good person. He fought for The Rebellion. He hunted and mined for his family. It surely wouldn't hurt for him to stay._

As we make our way back to the Victors Village, I see my mother outside with Buttercup.

"Oh , Hello , Gale! I haven't seen you for ages! You get taller and more handsome every time I see you! It seems like only a week ago I was treating you with the measles!" My mother exclaims, reaching up to hug Gale.

Something catches my eye from Prim's room. I can see her looking at Gale. I try to search her face for any emotion. But nothing is shown. She begins to look distraught when my other calls her to come outside and say Hello to Gale.

At first I wonder why. Then I realise. This is the man she's loved since she could crawl. Gale has always been like the big brother she never had. But this is also the same man that nearly killed her. The man that caused the painful burns on her body.

She subtly creeps back into the darkness and doesn't respond. My mother calls her a few more times, but realises that it's no use.

"Well, I'll see you two around." she says cheerfully.

"Bye, Mom" I mumble.

"See you around." Gale replies.

We silently make our way back to the house. I offer Gale some lunch, but he claims he's already eaten. I eventually get a conversation flowing and avoid Peeta's name at any point.

Right in mid-sentence, Gale stops talking when he notices me gazing at Peeta's canvas painting of The Meadow- my favourite.

"I suspect _he _did it." Gale mentions, half glaring at it. I can hear the hate and remorse in his voice.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" I shake my head slightly whilst being snapped back into reality.

"So, in other words- He makes some buns, paints a picture and everybody is happy and free." he remarks meanly.

"You know and can tell that I've been avoiding this." I reply, still not taking my eyes off the picture.

"I know and can tell everything about you, Katniss." he stares at me with his smouldering grey eyes.

"Maybe you should go catch up with Madge. I need some air." I dismiss his comment quickly. And before I know it I am out of the door.

I want to go to the woods, but that is the obvious place. So, instead I turn towards Haymitch's house.

Haymitch knows that I will just walk into his house, so I don't bother to knock.

"More boy trouble, sweetheart?" he slurs from the living room._ Great. so, a couple of months without some alcohol clearly didn't work_. Haymitch knows that his last comment hurt me, but unlike last time he said his, I choose to just glare at him rather than walk away.

"Sorry. Shouldn't have said that. Drink?" he says a bit more quietly.

"Gladly." I slump down into the chair, admire how clean his house is, take the bottle from his hand and gulp a few times. God, I forgot what happened last time I did this.

"I'll see you later." And I walk out of the door.


	3. Chapter 3- I'd Forgot

**Chapter 3- I Forgot**

**Katniss' P.O.V**

As I walk in, I hear Gale's voice, then a woman's. It's not my mother, it's not Prim. It's not Hazelle. I'm about to give Gale a piece of my mind for letting people into my house. I stomp in, arms folded over my chest as I see Johanna Mason grinning whilst cradling a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Where's Loverboy, Brainless?"she asks in her very demanding tone, her face suddenly serious.

"Nice to see you too." I put my jacket on the coat hanger and fold my arms.

"You got a new one?" her eyebrows raise.

"No. No!" I reply with a sigh" Gale's just my very good friend. And Peeta is on a business trip to Two."

"Oh, that's fine then," she shrugs " At least I wasn't a matchmaker for nothing."She grabs her coat and walks straight out the door.

"Oh, Bye then!" I shout sarcastically.

"Got a train to catch!" she throws over shoulder. And then the front door slams.

"What does she mean by that?" I ask confused.

"By what?" Gale replies, looking me right in the eye.

"Being a matchmaker or something." Gale just sighs as his eyes study his cup of coffee.

"So, where am I sleeping?" Gale changes conversation quickly.

Why would he ask? Spare room obviously. Where else? Uh-oh. The nightmares. He knows I get them. That's why Peeta was so hesitant of leaving! It hits me like a slap in the face.

"Uhh... Spare Room. Or there's always the couch." I reply with a smile.

He laughs lightly. "Spare Room, thanks."

_I'm running. Fast. The tracker-jacker serum makes my mind and vision foggy. Little painful spiders begin to cover my skin, but I realise there is no use of trying to brush them off. The trees around me turn to blood. I can feel myself getting tired, I'm going to fall. Into the pit of shiny orange bubbles. Again. That's when my mind clears. My hunting instincts finally kick in. Marvel's spear is positioned ready to kill me. Before I know it, my arrow is loaded into the bow and I shoot a clean shot in the chest. My mouth drops open when I realise who my target really was. Or now my victim. Peeta's body lies motionless on the forest floor. I hear the unforgettable boom of the cannon which signifies my Dandelion In The Spring's death. I have killed the Boy With the Bread._

"Katniss! Katniss! It was just a nightmare! You're here, you're safe." I can just about hear Gale's voice over my screams. My eyes snap open to see Gale kneeling down beside the bed, trying to comfort me. Trying. It's only Peeta who can settle me down. I need Peeta.

I bury my head into Gale's chest as I mutter Peeta's name repetitively through sobs.

"It's all right. He's safe in Two. It's over." Gale strokes my hair over and over again. It calms me down a bit, but does not fully reassure me.

**Gale's P.O.V**

I sit Katniss on the bed, run downstairs, grab the telephone, punch in the number for District Two when I stop dead in my tracks. If there is one thing Peeta and Katniss have in common, they will stop at nothing to do something if it means enough to them. And Peeta will do anything for her. He would probably walk all the way to Twelve on foot just to get Katniss away from me.

I decide to take the telephone to Katniss while she rings Peeta. She waits a few seconds and asks for his caller I.D.

I know that Katniss will not go back to sleep easily, so I grab my jacket and walk over to the Everdeen house to get her a sleeping pill.

"Gale? What are you doing here?" Prim stares at me with huge, tired blue eyes. She's wearing a pink nightgown, hair messy while Buttercup is cradled in her arms.

"Um, Katniss might need a sleeping pill. You know, the nightmares." She nods her head slowly and jerks her head towards inside the house, indicating for me to go in.

"Prim? Who's at the door? Do you realise what time it is?" I can hear Mrs Everdeen's voice coming from the stairs.

"Sorry, Mrs Everdeen, Katniss needs a sleeping pill." I tell her quietly.

"Oh right. Probably the nightmares." I nod. She walks into the kitchen as I notice Prim staring at me. Our eyes lock for a second as I try to read her expression.

"Here you go, Gale. If she continues to thrash around just tell her to come over here." Mrs Everdeen hands me the sleeping pill and she puts her arm around Prim. God, they look alike.

"Thanks." I reply as I make my way back to the house. When I reach the bedroom, Katniss in on the phone to Peeta. She seems a lot more relaxed now. She nods her head a lot. She puts the phone down and gives a huge sigh.

"Oh, thanks." she replies as I hand her the sleeping pill and a glass of water.

"I'm just in the spare room if you need me." I say to her. Then I turn on my heel to leave before she stops me.

**Katniss' P.O.V**

"Gale, will you stay with me?" I blurt out before he leaves. I'm jolted back in a memory when I asked Peeta this when I was on the train.

"Yeah, sure." he replies with a surprised look on his face.

Once again, I bury my head in his chest as he strokes my hair repeatedly. I breathe normally for the first time since I fell asleep. I forgot the last time I was in Gale's arms. I forgot his strong embrace around my shoulders. I forgot the faint scent of oranges. I forgot that Gale was still in love with me.

The drugs make my eyelids heavy. I do one last thing before I'm pulled back under. I lift my head slightly and press my lips against his.

**Okay, so you guys are either thinking: **_**I saw it coming **_**or **_** Oh sugar honey iced tea**_** but I hope you enjoyed it. I'm really sorry for those who said "Don't make Katniss cheat on Peeta with Gale" Cos I feel really bad about it and that was kind of the whole plot. I'm thinking of writing another Fanfiction but I'm not sure if I should do it or not. I started to write it last night but I didn't publish it so PM me if you want to know what it's about and tell me if I should do it or not.**

**I'm starting to think I should not carry on with this fanfic because I don't have any reviews on the last chapter and if you're gonna review, please give me some real feedback on it. I don't mind the encouraging ones but please review cos I have no idea on what people think of it!**

**Hope you enjoyed it and May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour x**


	4. Chapter 4- Forgotten

**Okay, so just to throw this in quickly, if any of you read my profile, somewhere near the bottom- it says that I am NOT a Galeniss shipper. Can I just make that clear? I love Gale and I hate it in Fanfics where they kill him off, but his place is not with Katniss. And I'm going to spoil future chapters- Gale and Katniss will not stick together- I mean, I'm not that cruel. And Peeta- God knows what he would do if Katniss left him for Gale.**

**The reason for the kiss was most likely the drugs. I just can't be bothered to explain that in the story cos it would just take way too much time. And I'm not nearly as creative to weave that in somewhere. No offence to Galeniss people- it's just that I do not ship them. Just making that clear. Uh, I had a sort of clear vision when I started to write the story but it's getting a bit boring. This chapter is short and not very interesting so I will most likely upload the next one shortly afterwards.**

**Hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 4- Confusion**

**Gale's P.O.V**

She raises her head slightly, while I lower mine. Both of our lips purse and I finally get what I have been waiting for.

The kiss seems to last forever. eventually, her eyelids flutter and the drugs pull her back under their spell of slumber **(I just didn't know what else to put and it is a metaphorical spell. Yes, I do love Harry Potter, but it's not a real spell)**

Confused, my eyebrows knit together. _She's in love with Peeta. She chose Peeta over me. Was it the sleeping pill? _These questions buzz through my mind as I gently stroke Katniss' head reassuringly.

_Will she even remember? If she does, what will her reaction be? If she doesn't, well, we can forget about it. _ I feel like I should pack up and leave, but how will Katniss survive another two and a half weeks?

* * *

I slept in Katniss' bed last night- just in case she woke up. But crept back to the spare room at daybreak. So she could not remember. The events of the past night are now forgotten.

My train of thought is altered as Katniss offers me a drink.

"Coffee, thanks." I'm going to need it. At least she doesn't remember. It's all forgotten.

**Shortyyy! I just didn't know what else to put. I have the next part ready but I'm going to post it a bit later because it doesn't really fit in the same chapter- if you know what I mean. Can anyone tell me which song I quoted "Train of thought is altered " from? It's not the exact lyric but it seemed right to put it there.**

**Sooo... Update later today and I know it seems like it's easy to update at a schedule but as my best friend quoted "Life is better without a plan." Real Or Not Real? She told me this like two months ago and I still am thinking about it- so answer that as well.**

** Review, follow and favourite and Adios!(I think that's how you spell it)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Sorry! My Internet's been down (how the fudge did I live?) and I will probably get a schedule as soon as possible. I was also working on another story so I became preoccupied.**

**Enjoy!**

**Peeta's P.O.V**

"What are you doing here, Brainless?" My flurry of thoughts is interrupted as the one and only Johanna Mason approaches me with arms folded.

"I swear that was Katniss' nickname." I reply with a smile.

"Yeah, well; you're on a train to Two while Katniss is in Twelve- I think I have a goddamn right to call you Brainless." her eyebrows raise and her facial expression changes to one that says it all- _Did you split up?_

"It's a business trip!" I throw my hands in the air in mock surrender.

"You sure?" she asks slowly. Johanna always talked quite quickly but this question seems thoughtful. Unlike Johanna who just blurts out anything.

"I'm sure." I reassure her with a smile. She raises an eyebrow but her face relaxes back to normal.

She gets up to go but gives me the 'I'm watching you' motion. I laugh lightly and roll my eyes as she leaves.

I'm left alone in the carriage reading some biography- all lies- about the love between Katniss and myself. It's not published yet, I'm meant to give feedback on it. Since when was my father a blacksmith? Since when was Katniss an only child? I think the only bit they've got right is that we were in The Hunger Games twice.

The door opens. I expect to see some Capitol citizen waltz in- their styles are not as flamboyant, but it's still looking like a carnival.

But it's not a Capitol citizen. It's Johanna. It's not even a random person from one of the Districts. I look up to see the monstrous killing-machine from District Two.

**Ooooh! So who is it? I think it's a teeny bit obvious but anyway, I want to say sorry to my best friend who's idea it was for this character to be in this scene. She hasn't published it yet but all rights of Cato showing up belong to her Fanfiction. Ella, I know you're going to physically kill me in every way you can possibly think of on Saturday, but I've made it clear that it was not my own work. **

**Sorry for all these short chapters! I'm not doing it on purpose. I don't upload on time because where I live, the internet connection has been crap recently so I can't or I don't think it will be right to put the next part in the chapter.**

**New Fanfiction coming soon- I've written the first couple of chapters but they don't have a lot of details right now.**


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